Samsung’s new adaptive clock is the intelligent design fix we’ve been waiting for

Samsung might just reignite your love for your lock screen with a smarter clock. The company just kicked off the One UI 8.5 beta program for the Galaxy S25 series, and one of the standout features is a big update to the lock screen clock. Now, it changes from a simple timestamp to a dynamic design that adapts to any wallpaper on the lock screen.

The official changelog says the new “automatic lock screen layout” makes sure wallpapers with people or pets always fit just right. You don’t have to adjust anything yourself as the layout changes on its own. This means your clock and widgets move around so they don’t block important parts of your photo.

For the uninitiated, the adaptive clock already changes its size, orientation, and layout based on the content of your lock screen wallpaper. However, the first version, which came with One UI 8.0, only worked when your wallpaper had people or animals.

Now, One UI 8.5 takes it further. No matter if your background is a skyline, flowers, or a city view, the clock tries to move around the main shapes so you can see both the time and your wallpaper clearly.

The current beta changelog specifically calls out “people or pets”, but the underlying tech seems robust. We’ve been tracking this development for a while. We first heard whispers about this specific implementation earlier in December. But the trail goes back even further. Back in October, a reliable leak suggested that Samsung was working on an adaptive clock that could recognize a wide range of objects, not just humans or animals.

If you have a Galaxy S25 and are part of the beta, you can try this feature now. To find it, long-press an empty spot on your lock screen to enter editing mode. Tap the clock, go to the “Font and color” tab, and look for the adaptive options.